The Hungarian State Opera and the Erkel Theatre are to gain new a art studios and rehearsal centre. Establishing and equipping the new centre as well as preparing the refurbishment of the Opera House in Andrássy Avenue is to be financed by the government up to 14.425 billion HUF, announced Péter Hoppál, State Secretary for Culture and Szilveszter Ókovács, General Director of the Hungarian State Opera.

On 6 February, 2016 the special guest star of the Shakespeare Ball organized by the Hungarian State Opera is Plácido Domingo. One important feature of the ball revived in 2014 is that the greatest figures of the world of opera and ballet are invited to this exclusive event. The appearance of Domingo is extraordinary as it is the first time this significant personality of the classical music scene of the 20th and 21st centuries sings on the stage of the Opera House.

The most prestigious awards were presented to three opera singers, a ballet dancer and a member of the orchestra on 29 June, 2016 on the stage of the Erkel Theatre. The Chamber Singer for the 2015/16 season are Eszter Sümegi, Ildikó Komlósi and István Kovácsházi. Chamber Artist is cellist Endre Balog, the Étoile title was awarded to ballerina Lili Felméry.

The Night of Stars gala is a spectacular show to celebrate the best moments of the past season: the stage is graced by the greatest of the great, as well as the most promising young performers at the Erkel Theatre on 29 June from 7 p.m. The event is screened at St Stephen's Basilica in front of several thousand people in what is one of the summer's top free events. A collection is made by employees of Hungarian Interchurch Aid to assist disaster victims in Hungary. During the gala the recipients of the prestigious Chamber Singer, Etoile and Chamber Artist awards are announced.

The Opera’s ballet company will close both The Month of Dance and the season with The Karamazovs in Boris Eifman’s now-classic choreography. In addition to telling the well-known story in the language of dance, this grand ballet also explores the characters’ swirling minds, their complex relationships with each other and their internal struggles. The production will be staged at the Erkel Theatre from June 20, in a performance by the Hungarian National Ballet.

Similar to 2014 when the Strauss150 Festival crowned our 130th season, the Faust225 Festival aims to present the most concentrated event of this season on the 225th anniversary of the first publication of Goethe’s Faust – A Fragment. Five brilliant pieces built on the topic of Faust can be heard (among them the premiere of Gounod’s opera and the Hungarian premiere of Busoni’s work), with a rarity concert by the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra to conclude the series that spans over two weeks featuring world-wide acclaimed Hungarian singers and international guest stars.

Exotic and romantic tale of an odalisque liberated from the pasha’s seraglio with a tolerable numberof dramatic twists, wicked harem overseers, audacious lovers, and Christian pashas who let the sweethearts go despite having no reason to do so.

BackgroundThe young Spanish nobleman Belmonte has suffered having his betrothed, Konstanze, her English maid, Blonde, and his servant, Pedrillo, all kidnapped by pirates and sold to Selim Pasha. The Pasha, who was not born a Turk but instead as a Spanish Christian who later converted to Islam, has fallen in love with Konstanze and has had her and the other captives brought to his country estate.

Act IAfter somehow finding out where his beloved and her companions are being kept, Belmonte has arrived to free them. Although the wrathful harem overseer, Osmin, attempts to drive him away, Belmonte still succeeds in meeting with Pedrillo to discuss what to do. The Pasha arrives with Konstanze, whom he is still showering with love. The girl, however, frankly declares that she will never love anyone other than her lost fiancé. Meanwhile, despite all of Osmin's efforts, Belmonte has entered the palace with help from Pedrillo.

Act IIThe merry little maid Blonde is not the least bit afraid of her irate slave-master. Although the pasha has made a gift of her to Osmin, in reality she's the one who controls her master, not the other way around. With an aching heart, Konstanze remembers the happy times before fate separated her from Belmonte. The pasha arrives. He warns the unfortunate girl that his patience has come to an end: if Konstanze will not submit to his courting, then he will not shrink from torture. However, Konstanze is strong and determined ("Tortures of every kind may await me") and cannot be swayed from a decision once she has made it. Then Pedrillo tells Blonde the great news. Before the maid rushes off to inform Konstanze, she and her sweetheart quickly concoct a plan for how to get the ever-alert and suspicious Osmin out of the way. Soon enough, Osmin appears and immediately notices what an unusually cheerful mood Pedrillo is in. Pedrillo doesn't lose any time coming up with an explanation: a little bit of fine old wine can soon make even the harshest servitude seem better. Osmin cannot resist the temptation for long. He takes heartier and heartier gulps from the wind until finally passing out. Evening comes and the two couples happily prepare for their escape.

Act IIINevertheless, the escape is not successful. At just the wrong time, Osmin awakes. Suddenly sober, he calls the guards, and the soldiers seize the absconders. The fugitives are dragged before the Pasha, who realises from Belmonte's words that he has the son of his deadly enemy, the man who ruined his life, in his power. Although the young people suspect that mercy will not be forthcoming, they anticipate death calmly in the knowledge that they will never be separated from each other again. The Pasha, however, overcomes his thirst for revenge: he gives up his pursuit of Konstanze and sets them all free.